Immigration Activist

JessicaColotl

Witness, Reformer, Believer

Puebla, Mexico - Atlanta, GA

— Recorded 2012 —

We have over 12 million undocumented
people in the country...that's a lot of
people, and that just lets you see thatwe have a broken
immigration system...

Dreamer

...we need to fix it,
we need to create a mechanism for
those people to get in line so they
can become American on paper.

— Jessica Colotl

Pro-Democracy

Immigration

Student Protests

About Jessica

A Mexican student who migrated to the US seeking the American dream with her family when she was ten, she was discovered to be an undocumented immigrant when stopped by police in Georgia, arrested, detained at a deportation facility in Alabama. Involuntarily thrust into activism, she has since graduated from college and plans to attend law school with a focus on immigration law.

More Video Clips

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In Mexico with her family

Colotl (far right) with her grandfather and siblings in Mexico. Colotl's family left the town of Puebla and settled in Atlanta, Georgia.

From the collection of Jessica Colotl

Press Conference in Atlanta

Colotl speaks to reporters at a press conference in Atlanta on May 14, 2010, shortly after a jury found her guilty of driving without a license. Colotl’s case ignited a national debate over immigration reform that continues today.

Associated Press

Arizona Protest

Members of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance march in protest against the Supreme Court’s ruling on Arizona’s law allowing law enforcement to ask for the papers of individuals they believe to be illegal immigrants. Colotl believes the law will force undocumented immigrants to “live in the shadows.”

Getty

In a Georgia Courtroom

Colotl and her lawyer listen to the proceedings of her case in court in October 2011.

Associated Press

In a Georgia Courtroom

Colotl sitting in a Georgia courtroom in October 2011 before her case is called. Jailed in 2010, she was turned over by local police to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Although her deportation was delayed, it remains a possibility.

Associated Press

DREAM Act Rally

Demonstrators rally in support of the DREAM Act, proposed legislation that would protect undocumented immigrants from deportation who came to the United States as minors with their parents. With her national profile, Colotl helped campaign for the DREAM Act in 2010.

Getty

Colotl's Mug Shot

Jessica Colotl’s mug shot after her arrest in 2010 for driving without a license and impeding traffic. Her detention set in motion a series of events that changed her life. Once in the system, Colotl worried she would be deported back to Mexico, ending her dream of graduating from college. Instead, she became a high-profile symbol and advocate for immigration reform.

Associated Press

Kennesaw State University

Colotl made attending college a priority, despite the roadblocks necessary to overcome her undocumented status. She enrolled at Kennesaw State University, a school outside of Atlanta, in the fall of 2006. She graduated in May 2011 after her college career was interrupted by her incarceration.

Associated Press

Colotl's Diploma

Colotl graduated from Lakeside High School in Atlanta in 2006. Recognizing the importance of education, she worked hard to make sure her grades and test scores would allow her to pursue her dream of attending college despite her immigration status. Receiving her diploma made her feel like she “had conquered the world...because I could have just given up...”

From the collection of Jessica Colotl

In the sixth grade

Sixth-grader Colotl walking to school shortly after arriving in the United States. Because she could not speak English, Colotl’s transition was difficult, but by working hard she learned to adapt to her new surroundings.

From the collection of Jessica Colotl

With family at a party.

A young Jessica Colotl (far right) standing with her father, uncle, and siblings at a party.

From the collection of Jessica Colotl

With her family

Colotl (far left) with her mother, father, and siblings. Colotl’s parents worked long hours at multiple jobs in order to support their family.

From the collection of Jessica Colotl

Thank You

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights would like to thank their partners on this project: